Empire - Wargame of the Century

I would like to thank you for buying EMPIRE 2.05.  I hope that you have
a lot fun playing EMPIRE. 

The version of EMPIRE included on your disk is 2.05.  This version
removes several minor bugs from the previous release of EMPIRE plus
there are several improvements to the game since 2.00.  The improvements
are as follows:

1) New Menu Command "Activate", Keystroke[A] - This command is available
only in SURVEY MODE.  If the command is given while the cursor is over a
unit WHICH STILL HAS MOVES FOR THE CURRENT TURN, it's orders will
immediatly be cleared, and the game will revert to MOVE MODE with that
unit being the currently active move unit.  The purpose of the command
is to allow you to move a specific unit without having to cycle through
all the other units.  Note that the menu item will be deactivated if the
unit has used it's moves for the turn.

2) New Map Editor Menu Command "Fill Map", Keystroke [Control][F] - This
command will set the map being edited to all land.

3) New Map Editor Menu Commands "Blotch Sea" and "Grow Sea Mass",
Keystroke [Alt][B] and [Alt][G] - These commands are the oposite of
Blotch and Grow in that they build sea instead of land. 

4) New Menu and Map Editor Commands "Delete", Keystroke [Control][D] -
This command allows deletion of files (for example, save games and maps)
while you are in EMPIRE.

5) Units may be placed on sentry in a city.  To wake units in a city, go
to SURVEY MODE, place the cursor on the city, and select Clear Orders. 

6) In order for you to know which cities have units in them (since thay
may be on sentry), cities which have units in them will have a slightly
different city icon. 

7) Production display: Now, when a unit is produced, you have
the option of changing the cities production immediatly.  Just click on
the production box.  Otherwise click on continue. 

8) City Production display: Now shows number of units currently being
constructed as well as time to construct a unit.

9) Transport/Carrier Loading:  Now, when a transport or carrier leaves
a port, it will automaticly load any armies/fighters also in the city up
to it's maximum carrying ability.

10) Turn Sequencing: Units on sentry duty or on transports will now
always have the ability to move during a turn.  There is also a new unit
sequencing logic which tries to allow all units on the window to move
before changing to other portions of the map. 

11) Save Games: Save games are now stored in a more compact save game
format than previous releases.  EMPIRE will be able to read in save
games or PBM games from previous releases but the reverse is not true,
i.e.  someone with an older release of EMPIRE will not be able to load
your save game.  

12) Carriers moving onto a Fighter at sea will automaticly load the
Fighter.

13) Delay values - The message and battle delay values, the army/fighter
construction display flag and the sound flag are now unique to each
player if more than one human is playing. 

14) Land icons now have coastal waters drawn on them.  This is primarily
a "pretty" but it does make the game look better.  As a result of the
icon change, be aware of the following. . .  a) Ships cannot enter
coastal squares.  They can only enter squares that are completely sea or
city squares.  b)  Armies may cross small segments of water so long as
they are moving directly from a land (coastal) square to another land
(coastal) square.

15) When a unit is blocked trying to get to it's target square, it will
blink at twice the normal speed so you know it's just asking for a way
around.  

I'd like to thank Henry Colonna, Neil Harris, Wayne Dunham,
Alvin Files, Bob Jones, Bob Rakosky, Dan Moore and Jerry Pournelle for
helping me catch some of the bugs and having suggested the improvements. 

The only thing on this disk which isn't mentioned in the documentation
is the 'xtramaps' folder.  In this folder you'll find several extra
maps.  The maps were a little bit too strange to include in the standard
set of maps so they are included here.  When EMPIRE ask what map you
want, chose one of these instead of a random map.  If you want them to
be selected with the other random maps, just move them to to 'empire'
folder. 

Interstel and I both appreciate suggestions, criticisms, comments,
ideas, and fan mail very much.  If you do not like the way we did
something, please let us know.  Send us a letter or postcard, we would
love to hear from you.  You can also reach me via electronic mail
through the GEnie Information Exchange or Compuserve.  My mail address
on GENIE is MB and Compuserve is 73637,3032.  We try to answer all the
mail we receive (but it might take a while). 

Because Interstel now publishes the same software on numerous computer
systems, please tell us what computer system you are executing the
software on (i.e.  Atari ST).  Failure to do so could result in a long
delay in answering your letter, or no answer at all, because we will
have to try and figure out what machine you are using.  In addition,
sending Interstel the registration card enclosed with the software will
go a long way in finding you.  Interstel does keep the cards, file them
alphabetically according to computer system, and load the information
into a data base.  When you move, include Interstel in your list of
address change notices.  Interstel gets a lot of returned mail, and that
is expensive.  Also be careful with abbreviations on your address.  The
U.S.  Postal Service may know where L.I.C.  New York is in New York
(state), but the letter may not get to you from the Interstel office. 
By the way, what and where is L.I.C.  New York??

INTERSTEL DOES NOT PASS THEIR REGISTERED OWNERS LIST TO ANY OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS.  THE LIST ARE TREATED AS CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION.  SO, IF YOU GET COMPUTER JUNK MAIL IN THE FUTURE, IT IS NOT
OUR FAULT.

Have fun.


Mark Baldwin
June 27, 1988
Littleton, Colorado